Monday, 11 May 2015

our weekly bread

Bread making has become a bit of a ritual in this house. It all started maybe 5 years ago when I picked up a second hand bread maker at a local church fete for the grand total of $5. Yep, you read that right, $5. That's got to be hard to beat, right?

Gosh I made a lot of bread with that little breadmaker. I really did get my $5 worth out it!! Sadly my first breadmaker has long since died (I did finally replace it!) but it started something in me that has really stuck.

You see, once you start having home baked bread, it's a little bit addictive and hard to give up. A crispy crust straight out of the oven with a smear of butter and vegemite? Food of the gods I tell you. Heavenly!

These days I've fallen into a little bit of a routine with my breadmaking. I normally bake on a day when I'm not chasing children around too much (ie home days without too many activities) and my preference is to let the breadmaker do the mixing for me and to roll/shape it out and bake it in the oven.

Really the time it takes me is minimal. I have a few failsafe recipes I've worked out so just chuck all the ingredients in the breadmaker,
set it to dough and it mixes and proves it perfectly for me. When it
beeps, I roll it out/shape it how I like, leave it covered on the verandah (or by the fire in wintertime) to rise once again then chuck it in a hot oven until it's golden and crispy.

I
usually do it while multitasking something else like making dinner,
hanging out washing, folding up, feeding children, cleaning or whatever
else I'm doing at the time!

If I'm really pressed for
time I'll cook the loaf straight in the bread maker. It's still
delicious but not quite as good as done the other way.

My staple loaf is a multigrain
sandwich loaf. I love to mix the grains myself and experiment with
different seeds and flours. One day it might be covered in sunflowers and pepitas, the next a heavier linseed/grainy loaf or perhaps one made from spelt and quinoa. I just let my mood dictate what the day's loaf will be!

So what's my favourite? At the moment, I'd say focaccia!
My husband and I both really love it. Sprinkled in sea salt and fresh
picked rosemary from the garden and a healthy drizzle of olive oil, it's
hard to beat.

20 comments:

I too bake my own bread and I also love experimenting. Last year I made a sweet focaccia bread made with chopped up Mars Bar chunks pressed into the dimples on top of the bread with a sprinkle of sea salt. I was actually delicious. The salt stopped it from becoming too sickly sweet and the caramel and chocolate melted into gooey sticky blobs in the dough. Everyone who tried it on my market stall loved it ..... all except on lady that is ...... she thought I had gone a bit mad :-) PS, I totally love your blog :-)

My husband usually bakes our bread - using a bread machine. While its great to just eat it doesnt seem to slice well for making sandwiches - doorstops anyone??I think I might try your idea of baking it in the oven to see if that makes a difference but I think its probably a case of having to tweak the ratios of flour and water.

Hi Sue! It took me a while to learn to use my bread maker... lots of tweaking of recipes. I found it needed less water than most recipes indicated (I live in a humid environment). I think if you watch it at the dough stage and the dough looks good (rolling itself into a ball and not too sticky- or too dry), it usually turns out OK (as long as your yeast is good :) Good luck- don't give up!

I made the rosemary and sea salt focaccia for Sunday night Mother's Day dinner as we love it here. Have you got a post on your multigrain bread and a normal sort white bread. Do you use pre-mixes or make up from scratch? Regards Kathy A, Brisbane

Oh, that flatbread looks amazing. I just ate dinner but you're making me hungry. I made all our bread for about a year when we were trying an absolutely-no-processed-foods diet for my eczema-prone daughter. I mainly made soaked whole-wheat sandwich bread in the oven, and it was really good. I actually miss doing it, maybe I'll start again!

Bread making's funny like that isn't it? Easy to fall out of the habit of making it, but just as easy to take it back up again... I expect you'll have your hands full for a little while with the new bub though :)

I don't know how I missed your skirt post but my goodness that skirt is adorable!!!! And your breads are beautiful friend! They look perfect in every way! I only make a no knead bread but you have convinced me that I should invest in a bread maker! Here is to making...you always inspire!!! Nicole xo

I use my bread machine most days as well. As you say, it takes so little time. I like to add different flours and seeds as well. I love your idea of putting pumpkin in, I'll definitely give that a go in autumn. CJ xx

Hey, we're bread machine users too. My husband had one when I first met him and he makes a loaf every day. We've worn out the motors on about three machines over the years. nothing beats fresh bread in the morning!yours look divine. I like the idea of oven baking if only to avoid the hole left by the mixing paddle!My favourite is putting rolled oats in along with the grains. it's gives it a moister, slightly thicker texture.